Shipping crate, box, or binder.



E. NORTON.

SHIPPING ORATE, BOX, 0B. BINDER. APPLIUATION IILBD arm. 23. 1907.

902,899. Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

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-E. NORTON.

fiHIPPING CIR-ATE, BOX, 013. BINDER.

APPLIDATIOH IILED 8EPT.23,1907.

Patented Nov.3, 1908.

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mmnur EDWIN NORTON, OF NEW YORK,

SHIPPING CRATE, BOX, OR BINDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN Nonron, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping Crates, Boxes, or Binders, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention relates to a crate, box or j binder for use in ship ing tin-plates.

The manufacturers have heretofore packed l tin-plate in wood boxes for shipment, each box containing about one hundred and twelve sheets.

After the wood boxes have once been used for the shipment of tin-plate they have little or no value, owing first, to their peculiar shape having an internal measurement approximately of 20x28 inches by about 1-}; inches; this very shallow depth unfits them for other or oses; and second to the fact that the ul y character, as well as the flimsy nature, of the boxes makes it impracticab e for the consumer of tin-plate to return the empty boxes to the manufacturer to be used the second time. This lack of value in the tin-plate box after it has been once used, compels the cost of the box to be added to the cost of the tin-plate, which in the case of a large consumer of tin-plate aggregates in a years operations a considerable sum.

In addition to the foregoing objection to wood boxes for acking tin-plate, it often happens that wliien made into boxes the wood is green and contains moisture which frequentl discolors and rusts the tinlate and resu ts in dama e thereto, partiou arly the top and bottom s eets which come in direct contact with the wood; moreover, the wood boxes contain numerous cracks or openings throu h which moisture and dirt may enter to t e detriment of the polished tin plates.

Other objections to wood boxes, as com pared with sheet-metal boxes, is that in case of a wreck in shipment by railroad, the wood boxes are liable to be crushed and broken and the tin-plate scattered, damaged and lost; and again the wood boxes re uire for their storage more space than meta boxes, and this fact in the storing of a large number of boxes containing tin-plate is an important consideration. l

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 23, 1907.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Serial No. 394,061.

My invention has among its objects, to

rovide a shipping crate, box or improved construction that may be utilized repeatedly in the shipment of tin-plate,the consumer who receives the packages of tinplate returning the empty box, crate or binder to the manufacturer of the tin-plate when a suflicient number of empties have accumulated to justify the return.

Another object of my invention is the production of a crate, box or binder the parts of which may readily inclose a pile of sheets of tinplate, and said parts be secured about the sheets by devices carried by said parts.

A further object of the invention is to construct a crate, box or binder in an improve manner whereby the various parts may be readily separated, and a number of like parts nested together in comact form for return shipment to the origina shipper.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a device constructed in accordance with the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the particular construction shown, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a sheet-metal box embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2, shows a erspective view of the parts of the box wit the sides uncoupled at one corner and the top removed. Fig. 3, illustrates a cross sectional view through removed. Fig. 4, shows on a larger scale a perspective detail of one of the corner joints that connect the side and end-walls. Fig. 5, illustrates, in side elevation, several of the top and bottom plates nested as in the course of preparing them for return shipment, and Fig. 6 shows a bundle of the side-wall plates prepared for return shipment.

It is to be understood that the material of which the box parts are formed may vary, but for the urposes of description it will be assumed t lat said parts are constructed of sheet-steel plates preferably galvanized.

Referring to the respective figures in the drawing the numeral, 1, designates the bottom and, 2, the top plate of the box. As the construction of these plates are alike and are of the same size,they being designed when in the detached condition to nest one within the other so as to pack closely together, a description of one plate will apply binder of the box,-the top however being to the other. The edges of these plates have a beveled flange, 3, which inclines with respect to the plane of the exterior surface portions bounded by said flanges. The inclination of these flanges is toward the inner surface of the plate so that the flanges of the bottom plate, 1, will turn or incline upwardly while the flanges of the top plate, 2, will incline downwardly. The corners of these plates where the edge flanges would intersect may be provided with notches, 4, or obviously said corners may be formed by the side and end flanges overlapping or merging so as to produce a curved flanged corner thereby forming a continuous edge-flange around the entire plate. In order to stiffen these top and bottom plates, 1, and, 2, a bead or corrugation, 5, is formed adjacent the edge-flange and the surface may have suitable other corrugations or im ressions, 6, which extend in any desired direction to efl'ect the reinforcement for which they are designed.

The two opposite side plates, 7, and the o )posite end p ates 8, are all referably of a lll 0 construction, that is, each may be provided with a panel or one or more stiffening corrugations and also top and bottom inclined flanges, 9, and, 10.

The flange, 9, at the upper edge of each side and end plate inclines u wardly While the flanges, 10, at the lower e ges thereof ineline downwardly. At the vertical ends, these plates are provided with pintle eyes, 11, separated by notches, 12. The pintle eyes are formed by curling the metal and the several eyes are in vertical alinement. The relative positions of the two sets of pintle eyes, 12, on the abutting or adjacent edges of the side and end plates, are such as to permit the eyes of one plate to project and enter the notches, 12, between the eyes of the other plate, so that the eyes of the two plates may be brought into alineinent to receive a pintle pin, 13, by which the two adjoining plates are jointed or pivotally connected. These pintle ins, 13, may be riveted or otherwise secure-r in the eyes at some of the corners, but at one or more corners I prefer to have said pins removably inserted in the eyes, in order that they may be withdrawn for the purpose of disconnecting the plates at such points to permit the plates to be extended and piled one upon the other and bound, as shown in Fig. 6, ready for shipment.

In order to pack the sheet tin-plates for shipment in one of these boxes, the tinplates are to be piled in desired numbers upon the bottom plate, 1, of the box which should rest 11 on a table or bench. The top, 2, is then laid upon the pile of tin-plates with its flanges inclining downwardly around the said pile. The jointed side and end plates, 7,

and, 8, of the boX are then folded about the said pile of tin-plates, and the downwardlyinclined bottom flanges, 10, of said side and end plates will project beneath and outside of the inclined flanges, 3, of the bottom, 1, while the upwardly-inclined flanges, 9, of said side and end plates will take over and out-side of the flanges, 3, of the top plate, 3.

The inclined flanges, 10, and, .J, of the side plates will engage the inclined flanges, 3, of the bottom and top plates respectively, and when said side plates are tightly drawn the inclined flanges will slide on each other and compress the bottom and top plates toward each other.

When the side and end plates have been drawn close about the pile of tin-plates and the pintle eyes of their free ends have been fitted together in alinement, a pin, 13, may then be passed through the alined eyes and then the package or box is ready for shipment.

From the foregoing descri tion it will be understood that the side amFend plates are flexibly connected, and together form a flexible frame which when folded about the bottom and top plates, hold said plates by a clamping action. It is also obvious that the flanged marginal edges of the bottom, to side and end lat es or either of them mav e stiffened by being folded or doubled along the edge, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, or wired, and in this way by making stiff edges enable a thinner plate to be used in the construction of the box parts. It is also obvious that the top and bottom plates may be made with open centers, that is, the inclined flanges, 3, and the bead or corrugation, 5, be just as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, but the lar or central part of the said plates which is sflown as having corrugations, 6, may be open, and thus the lates would be in the form of a rectangular ame. This open center would reduce the weight of the crate, box or binder, and also the cost of material.

It will be understood the open center top and bottom plates when detached from the sides would be capable of nesting, that is piling one upon another in compact form for return shipment. In case metal packages with these open-center top and bottom plates are used the tin-plates inelosed may be pro tected from dust during shipment and the period of storage by closing the open center space with a sheet of heavy packing paper or other suitable and chea light material.

Having thus describe( my invention what I claim is,

A sheet-metal package for the shipment of tin-plates com rising a bottom and top plate provided wit marginal inclined flanges; and a plurality of side and end plates jointed top and bottom together by eyes and pintle-pins and having In testimony whereof I affix my signature marglnal lower and upper mehned flanges 1 n presence of two wltnesses.

which engage the said lnclined flames of the 1 bottom and to plates respeetivelyf 'wherebi t IN NORTON 5 when the sai plates are drawn they wil Witnesses:

compress the bottom and top plates toward. 1 CHAS. B. MANN,

each other. G. FERDINAND VoGT. 

